By Months: Mart Helme
Total Months: 11
Fully Profiled: 11
12.2024
18 Speeches
In terms of economics, he stresses the primary need to assist poor Estonian citizens and families suffering from economic hardship (a 40% increase in the number of households year-over-year). He opposes raising excise duties, accusing the Ministry of Finance of presenting misleading statistics and analyses to justify the government's policies. Furthermore, he accuses the government of laundering Russian black money and driving state-owned enterprises into bankruptcy.
11.2024
33 Speeches
Economic commentators are fiercely critical of the government's fiscal policy, leveling accusations of corruption and a lack of transparency. They view the dismantling of the oil shale energy sector and CO2 trading as the primary drivers of the economic downturn. Furthermore, they criticize solar panels as an unprofitable solution and defend "pork barrel funding" (or "earmarked regional funds") as a transparent instrument of regional policy, contrasting it sharply with the current budget, which they claim is focused on "fattening their own pockets" (or "cronyism").
10.2024
50 Speeches
Economic views are strongly opposed to tax increases, particularly regarding fuel and alcohol excise duties, which are devastating agriculture and threatening food security. The government’s budget policy is considered incompetent and the cause of the economic recession, with forecasts being labeled "total nonsense." Emphasis is placed on the need to support families and manage migration through state budget allocations.
09.2024
37 Speeches
Economic views are strongly critical of the government's actions, which have resulted in Estonia experiencing the deepest and most persistent economic recession among all countries globally (according to IMF data). There is opposition to state intervention in private property and the subsidizing of unprofitable projects (such as wind farms) using taxpayer money, viewing this as corruption and the siphoning off of resources. Warnings are issued against ending the indexation of pensions and making cuts to the social sector.
07.2024
18 Speeches
There is strong opposition to tax increases (car tax, VAT, CO2 tax), arguing that they demotivate businesses and will lead to societal collapse. The position defends private property and criticizes state interference in people's finances, stressing that the tax burden is excessive. It is alleged that the government itself has driven up the cost of fossil fuels through the green transition and the CO2 tax.
06.2024
6 Speeches
Economic viewpoints are fiercely opposed to taxes, particularly the proposed car tax, which is seen as reaching into people’s pockets and eroding the standard of living. The speaker argues that taxation indirectly drives up the prices of all services and goods, thereby worsening the quality of life. The government’s fiscal policy is criticized as being destructive to the Estonian economy and standard of living, despite all the rhetoric about balancing the budget.
05.2024
19 Speeches
The government's economic policy is being characterized as "chaos," which has led to recession and inflation. There is strong opposition to the wasteful spending of money on foreign projects while domestic businesses and residents suffer. It is demanded that the legislation governing energy projects (wind farms, nuclear power plant) clearly stipulate who bears the costs (pollution, health) and who receives the profits, in order to prevent profits from being transferred out of Estonia.
04.2024
51 Speeches
Economic perspectives are sharply critical of the government’s fiscal policy, highlighting high inflation and the cost of living, which makes it difficult to survive on the median wage (€1200). Opposition to pension reforms is especially intense, as they are deemed morally unjust, age discrimination, and the stripping away of well-deserved privileges from the older generation. The defunding of road construction and the closure of the Narva power plants are also subject to criticism.
03.2024
66 Speeches
Economic views are strongly opposed to tax hikes, arguing that taxes (car registration tax, VAT) are killing the economy and the birth rate. Emphasis is placed on the difficult situation faced by the poor and the necessity of lowering VAT on medicines. The government is criticized for its failure to generate economic growth, and there is a demand for the creation of reserves, rather than destroying the economy through ideological experiments. They demand transparent accounting of the total costs and disposal costs associated with green projects (offshore wind farms).
02.2024
52 Speeches
The politician is a strong proponent of lowering taxes and supporting domestic businesses, opposing new taxes (on cars, VAT hikes) and calling them "taxing the Estonian economy to death." He advocates for taxing foreign capital (banking) and demands improvements in the competitiveness of the energy sector. He stresses that tax policy should ensure stable and continuous tax revenue, rather than short-term "windfall" collection, and warns that investments are leaving due to a hostile business environment.
01.2024
74 Speeches
Strong opposition to tax hikes (VAT, car tax), which are viewed as communist "taxation to death" that bankrupts both property owners and the poor. It advocates for supplementing the state budget through investment returns, loans, and the sale of state assets (like Nordica), rather than through the senseless expenditure of money taken directly from the taxpayer's pocket. It criticizes the government for ignoring the economic plight of the poor and pensioners (who constitute a quarter of the Estonian population).